


Failure

by WakingNightmares



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bad Tara Raeken, Gen, Mentions of Non-Consensual Body Modification, One Shot, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-27 22:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17775791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WakingNightmares/pseuds/WakingNightmares
Summary: He’d never really considered what the relationship between Theo and the Dread Doctors might have been; after learning that Theo was working for them, Scott hadn’t stopped to consider any of the finer details, bitterly sliding the Chimera into the category of enemy without another thought.But he was thinking about it then. Couldn’t help but to think of it, as Theo’s desperate fear became obvious.One-shot companion piece to 'The Beast of Beacon Hills', and Theo's reaction to the Dread Doctors.





	Failure

“They wanted us here.”

For the first time, Scott could hear the fear in Theo’s voice. The way his heartrate sped up, the uncertainty in his eyes as he took a step back, knocking into Scott as he did. The Chimera’s head spun, searching, and Scott followed his gaze, spotting all three of the Dread Doctors standing in various points in the room.

And Theo’s heart skipped a beat.

The smell of panic permeated the stagnate air, so overwhelming that Scott had to fight back his own rising panic. Theo looked like he was seconds away from either running, or cowering, and he jumped as Scott took a step forward, brushing up against him.

He’d never really considered what the relationship between Theo and the Dread Doctors might have been; after learning that Theo was working for them, Scott hadn’t stopped to consider any of the finer details, bitterly sliding the Chimera into the category of enemy without another thought.

But he was thinking about it then. Couldn’t help but to think of it, as Theo’s desperate fear became obvious.

“Theo. Theo… Raeken.”

Theo drew back another step, barely keeping his feet as he tripped over Scott again as the heavy footsteps drew closer.

“He’s coming with us,” He growled, and Scott had to give him credit; despite his fear, he managed to keep it from his voice, only determination leaking through.

“Failure.”

Scott watched, horrified, as Theo flinched back, as if he’d been struck.

“Theo Raeken. Failure.”

“I… I’m not a failure.”

“Not a… complete failure. We learned from you.”

Theo seemed to collapse in on himself, shoulders hunching over, unable to look away from the Doctor coming closer, but not looking at the mask either. Desperate agony rolled off of him in waves, and Scott couldn’t stand by any longer.

“Theo… Theo, he’s trying to get to you,” He said, trying to catch the Chimera’s gaze. “This is what they want, don’t give it to them. We can’t beat them.”

The Doctor ignored Scott, taking another step forward, and Scott could hear the smirk through the mask, as the Doctor spoke again.

“The mark of a true failure: repeating the same mistakes again and again.”

Confused, Scott looked to Theo. What mistake? But even as he watched, Theo’s entire demeanor changed, determination and cold rage replacing fear.

“We’re taking Mason,” Theo growled, looking over his shoulder at Liam, who stared wide-eyed at Scott. “Then… I’m taking what’s mine.”

Internally, Scott cursed as Theo shifted, his yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light as he squared off against the Doctor with a growl.

“Let him go.”

“You have the entitlement, and narcissism typical of your generation. In that, you are a profound success. But your failure taught us one thing. The… banality of evil. That you were, and always would be, an ordinary evil.”

Scott watched, as Theo took each word like a blow, felt the rage simmering over as Theo took another step forward.

“Think I’m ordinary?”

“We believed to resurrect the perfect killer, we had to start with the perfect evil. From you, we learned that true evil only comes by corrupting something truly good.”

 

Theo had played this out enough times to be ready for it; as the Surgeon was still speaking, he could feel the vibrations of the Pathologist moving behind him, and he spun, grabbing his wrist and shoving his gloved hand away from him as he lashed out, shoving him as hard as he could, letting years of pain and rage loose.

The Pathologist stumbled back a step, and Theo struck again, aiming for that stupid mask, ignoring the pain lancing up his arm as his flesh hit metal, again and again, aiming his claws for the googles.

But, just like when he was a kid, he couldn’t tear through. His swings grew more desperate, until the Pathologist finally lashed out, punching him in the jaw hard enough that he could feel the bone shatter as he fell. He looked up, to see the gloved fist coming towards him.

Before he could even brace for the blow, however, Scott jumped in front of him, blocking the swing, and kicking the Pathologist back.

Pulling himself to his feet, Theo moved towards the Surgeon, content to let Scott and Liam deal with the other two.

Growling, Theo ran at the man, shoving him back against the wall, ripping and tearing at the Surgeon’s chest. As the Surgeon grabbed at his throat, Theo bit back a laugh as he smashed the Doctor’s elbow, driving his hand down; he might not have been as tall as the Doctors, but he wasn’t a kid anymore either. He wasn’t weak, wasn’t helpless anymore, and if he was gonna die down there in that shitty little room, he was at least going to make sure they had to work for it.

Mason’s screams of agony caught him off-guard, however, and even as the Surgeon pulled away, Theo found himself doing the same, watching in horror as Mason ripped the foot-long needle out of his neck.

“Transformation. Transformation without frequency.”

Theo looked at the Surgeon, then back at Mason, trying to decide if he had enough time to run. Watching the black smoke swirl at the younger boy’s feet, he knew it was too late; that there was no time, and nowhere he could hide if the Monster that the Doctors had created decided to kill him.

The Geneticist went first, and Theo found some small consolation in that; out of three, she had always been the cruelest, the most eager to inflict any unnecessary pain on him. The Pathologist went next, and Theo watched as the Beast simply ripped his head off, mask and all, dropping the still twitching body to the ground, before charging towards him and the Surgeon.

Theo braced himself, growling at the Beast; he wasn’t going to cower in fear, and he wasn’t going to give the damn thing the satisfaction of trying to run.

But it ignored him, shoving him out of the way with a blow that broke at least four of his ribs, as his head collided with the metal staircase. He slumped to the floor, and watched, as the Beast grabbed the Surgeon, and dragged him out. A moment later, Scott and Liam followed, leaving Theo alone in the dirty little shack.

Ignoring the agonizing pain coursing through him, he forced himself to his feet, dragging himself towards the back of the lab; Scott and Liam had went out the front, and -now that their common goal of ‘find Mason’ was over -he wasn’t in a hurry to tangle with either of them.

He shoved the table aside, sighing with relief as he spotted the grate. He pulled it open, and slid down into the sewers.

 

* * *

 

Scott dragged himself upstairs, exhaustion weighing him down like an anchor as he slowly made his way into his room, collapsing on his bed.

Even as he closed his eyes, however, he couldn’t stop seeing Theo’s face, as his sister dragged him to Hell. Couldn’t stop hearing the screams, hearing him begging for Scott to save him.

Couldn’t stop replaying the scene in the lab, over and over again.

Theo had been terrified of the Doctors; terrified in a way that Scott had never seen before, on a deep, almost primal level. Most of the Doctors and Theo’s conversation had gone over his head at the time, but there was no mistaking that fear.

He’d spent the day after with Deaton, going through the labs and the two operating theaters they knew of; they’d found the meticulous notes the Doctors had kept, dating back almost a hundred years. And despite himself, he’d searched out the thick file with ‘Raeken, Theo’ stamped on the front. What he’d found had turned his stomach.

It’d started at the beginning; he’d read how the Doctors originally hadn’t wanted Theo at all. That it had been twelve-year-old Tara the Doctors had approached. The Doctors had ordered her to kill Theo, rather than the other way around, and it had been Tara who had lead Theo into the woods to the creek, and tried to kill him.

The Doctors had been surprised when they’d shown up, seeing Tara dead in the creek, nine year old Theo still alive on the bridge.

The one known as the Surgeon had detailed that first surgery; he’d written how there was no point in letting the heart go to waste, how Theo was just as damaged -and therefore just as viable a subject -as his older sister. The writing had a pleased quality to it, as it detailed how surprised they were that such a young ‘subject’ had survived the initial surgery.

He’d read the Pathologist’s notes on how Theo’s escape attempts, and how they’d eventually conditioned him to believe that he was a willing participant in the Doctors’ plans. He’d read the Geneticist’s notes on how quickly Theo had adapted to pain; he’d stopped reading when the notes started describing a ‘masochistic side effect’, and how they’d used that to their advantage.

Scott had hated Theo for his betrayal; he’d hated him for tarnishing the friendship they’d had when they were kids, for turning on him after Scott had given him his trust.

He’d never stopped to consider what had driven Theo to that point.

And now he’d never get the chance to apologize. He’d sat by, and watched, as Theo had been dragged to Hell by the sister that had tried to kill him. He’d consigned him to his fate, viewing it as ‘justified’ or 'deserved'.

In reality, he’d just been the last in a long list of people who had failed Theo.


End file.
